Seventeen Forty five: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
News opinion piece by Tala Majzoub, Staff Writer
April 14th, 2020
DOMESTI C VIOLENCE
artwork by Naji Chalhoub.
When we speak of self-isolation, it should come as no surprise that there exists a blatantly obvious social stratification: Silicon Valley billionaires and filthy rich Lebanese politicians who self-isolate in their yachts and sprawling mansions with spas and movie theatres do not undergo the same experience as day-to-day workers on the verge of unemployment, struggling to pay rent amidst the brewing global economic crisis. Nonetheless, we’re all on the same boat aren’t we? Wrong. To say that would be to undermine not only the financial turmoil people are experiencing, but also the physical, emotional, and psychological struggle of domestic violence survivors.
The World Health Organization (WHO) contends that, though gender-based-violence is prevalent during times of stability and peace, risk escalates when a crisis – such as war, natural disaster, and pandemic – strikes.[1] On October 1st2018, NGO KAFA (enough) Violence & Exploitation, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the National Commission for Lebanese Women (NCLW), and the Lebanese Internal Security Forces launched the hotline “1745” to receive domestic violence complaints.[2] As of the beginning of March 2020, the ‘family hotline’ has resurfaced after the number of calls reporting abuse doubled due to the nation-wide Coronavirus lockdown.[3]
However, the legally mandated lockdown and the quarantine present us with unprecedented territories in terms of what domestic violence survivors are going to be facing. Layla Awada, head of the Family Violence Unit at KAFA explains that due to the Coronavirus widespread, “the police don't want to immediately arrest people to avoid crowding detainment centers and jails. Before, they were arresting them”.[4] Reported repeat-abusers were arrested before the pandemic, whereas now, judges are working with KAFA to protect victims alleging abuse by issuing restraining orders.[5]That is of course, not to mention that some survivors do not have the luxury nor privacy to make that life-saving phone call, namely those trapped in refugee camps with no access to phones. Even then, when the domestic violence hotline ceases to be an option, many victims feel they can no longer seek refuge at their elderly parents’ house for the fear that they might be exposing them to the virus.[6] While the hotline offers a glimmer of hope, the challenge remains on the rise because of the echoing silence of the many that we can’t hear.
The many that we can’t hear – According to the United States Department of Justice Office on Violence against Women, domestic violence is defined as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain control over another intimate partner”.[7] Therefore, many types of abuse are included in the definition of domestic violence. Contrary to common belief, domestic violence is not limited to physical violence displayed in a heterosexual relationships and nuclear families. Domestic violence is being locked in a home of transphobic and homophobic roommates or parents. Domestic violence is being mocked, ridiculed, molested, harassed, and taunted by bullies and abusers. @BeirutByDyke worded it perfectly on one of their recent Instagram posts addressing queen/trans* teenagers stuck with abusers in Lebanon “For everyone stuck with a homophobic and transphobic family, know that a herd of beautiful strangers have got your back right here in an online space that is our own”.[8]
In conclusion, domestic violence knows no social status, no gender, no age, no one form. I accentuate: saying we are all in the same boat is an understatement – unless you mean the Titanic, where several make it to safety yet others sink unnoticed. Perhaps our job is to keep that boat afloat, and to do that, we can start by hearing the echoing silence of the many that we can’t hear.
[1] “Violence against Women: Strengthening the Health Response in Times of Crisis.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/violence-against-women.
[2] “ISF Launches Domestic Violence Hotline.” The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon, www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2018/Oct-16/466547-isf-launches-domestic-violence-hotline.ashx.
[3] Person. “Lebanese Hotline Set up to Handle Surge in COVID-19 Domestic Violence Cases.” Arab News, Arabnews, 3 Apr. 2020, www.arabnews.com/node/1652146/middle-east.
[4] Ohanes, Gasia. “Domestic Violence Hotline Won't Save All Women from Abuse during Coronavirus Lockdown, Warns Lebanon NGO.” Alaraby, The New Arab, 10 Apr. 2020, english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2020/4/10/in-locked-down-lebanon-women-at-risk-of-domestic-violence.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Godin, Mélissa. “How Coronavirus Is Affecting Victims of Domestic Violence.” Time, Time, 18 Mar. 2020, time.com/5803887/coronavirus-domestic-violence-victims/.
[7] Rogers, Laura L. “Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).” The United States Department of Justice, 31 Mar. 2020, www.justice.gov/ovw.
[8] “Beirut By Dyke on Instagram: ‘This Is for Every Queer/ Trans* Teenager Stuck with Abusive Parents or Roommates in Lebanon. . The Virus Permeated My Dream Yesterday and...".” Instagram, 27 Mar. 2020, www.instagram.com/p/B-PJqfUpVgE/?igshid=f77rn7hgsfsa.